PAST
: IRELAND - A WOODED HISTORY
After the last
Ice Age, about 12,000 years ago, Ireland gradually became covered
with trees. These spread naturally across a landbridge which connected
Ireland with the UK and possibly the continent. Species which
colonised Ireland naturally - without the influence of people
- since the last Ice Age are referred to as native trees. At first,
juniper and birch started to cover the land and this was followed
with hazel and Scots pine. Around 8,000 years ago, when conditions
were favourable, oak and elm started to expand. Woodlands of oak,
ash, Scots pine, alder and elm developed throughout Ireland from
7,000 to 5,500 years ago and the country was cloaked in a rich
tapestry of woodland at that time.
The
arrival of early farmers heralded the beginning of the steady
decline of Ireland's natural woodland cover. From about 5,500
years ago people have hindered the natural development of woodland
by felling trees for timber and clearing the land for agricultural
use.
The
first farmers had to create patches of open ground in which to
sow crops. They felled and burnt small areas of woodland, grew
crops for several years and abandoned each patch when the soil
was exhausted, moving to another piece of woodland and repeating
the process. The plough is thought to have arrived in Ireland
about 2,600 years ago and this was followed by a substantial decline
of woodlands.
Various
waves of different people came to Ireland since the first farmers,
the Neolithic people, set foot here. First came the Celts, followed
by the early Christians, then the Normans and finally, the English.
Each new wave of settlers continued to fell woodland, with in
general, no thought given to replanting.
Uses
for timber varied from the construction of bog roads, crannógs
and dugout canoes, to ship-building and charcoal for smelting.
Significant areas were also removed to make way, not only for
agriculture, but to reduce the cover woodlands provided for 'rebels'.
It
is difficult to estimate how much of Ireland was covered by native
forestry 400 years ago. Estimates vary between 3% (Rackham) and
12% (McCracken), but it is more likely to be somewhere towards
the lower figure. The final phase of woodland felling began in
the 17th century. By 1800 less than 2% of Ireland was covered
by native woodland and by the beginning of the 20th century, only
about 1% of Ireland was covered, much of this behind the walls
of country estates.
A
major drive to 'regreen' Ireland began after the formation of
the State, as people realised just how important it was to have
our own supply of timber. Approximately 9% of Ireland is now covered
by forests, mainly non-native coniferous trees. The situation
has improved a lot over the last century, nonetheless, Ireland
today still stands as one of the least wooded countries in Europe.
